"This is the third paragraph on page two: 'We are decent law-abiding citizens all our lives. We are not kidnappers. We are not criminals. My family and I are legitimate businessmen. We have been engaged in the business for the past 29 years and the main reason for our success is because of the trust and integrity attached to our good name,'" he added.

Estrada, a member of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), has been charged with plunder for the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam before the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman is expected to decide soon if the case will be filed before the Sandiganbayan.

NEVER CLOSE TO NAPOLES

During the press briefing, the President maintained that he was never close to Napoles.

He said that as a member of the opposition during President Arroyo's term, he did not get priority development assistance funds (PDAF).

Napoles' letter to President Aquino was supposedly a "request for assistance" over the alleged extortion and blackmail activities by "unidentified suspicious characters in cohorts with some agents of the NBI" against her and Reynald Luy Lim.

In the letter, Napoles said she had feelings of disappointment, desperation and extreme fear for their lives. She said that on March 22, 2013, 15 NBI agents led by agent Rodante Berou and elements of the NBI's special task force under Rolando Argabioso set up a warrantless arrest when they stormed their condo unit in Pacific Plaza and arrested Lim.

The arrest was for the serious illegal detention case filed against them by the family of Benhur Luy.

She also said that when her camp refused the demand of P38 million by Baligod and Diaz, they were criticized by mass media.

She said Baligod later on demanded P250 million to P300 million as well as the issuance of Canadian visas for Luy's family members and himself, pocket money of 1.5 million US dollars, and opening of a legitimate pharmaceutical business with a capitalization of P30 million to be given to his youngest sister.

Attached to the letter was a summary of the illegal detention case. In the summary, it was claimed that Luy misappropriated Napoles' money and for which they wanted him charged. Lim, however, supposedly objected.

The summary also denied Luy was kidnapped, saying he was staying with Monsignor Jose Ramirez in Magallanes Village. It said Luy was even allowed to buy groceries.